Malva sp.
Mallow, Mallow
(c) Eridan Xharahi, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Malvaceae · Type: Annual · Variable; species dependent
Malva sp. (Mallow) is a non-native California annual in the Malvaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Pelargonium: Malva has symmetrical bowl-shaped flowers; Pelargonium has irregular flowers with two upper petals distinct from three lower.; vs Sidalcea: Malva has 3 bracts forming collar below flower; Sidalcea has no bract ring (or just 1-3 tiny bracts).; vs Hibiscus: Malva has small flowers with 3 bracts; Hibiscus has large showy flowers with many fused bracts.; vs Alcea: Malva has smaller flowers (<6 cm) with 3 bracts; Alcea has huge flowers (>6 cm) with 5-11 bracts.; vs Malvella: Malva is upright and green; Malvella is prostrate forming gray-fuzzy ground mats.
Frequently asked questions
Is Malva sp. native to California?
No. Malva sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Malva sp. belong to?
Malva sp. is in the Malvaceae family, genus Malva.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Malva sylvestris — High mallow
- Malva verticillata var. crispa — Crisped mallow
- Malva arborea — Tree mallow
- Malva assurgentiflora — Island mallow
- Malva assurgentiflora subsp. assurgentiflora — Northern island mallow
- Malva assurgentiflora subsp. glabra — Southern island mallow
- Malvaceae sp. — Mallow family
- Malvella leprosa — Alkali-mallow
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.